French star Cirrus Des Aigles (FR)
The British Flat racing seasons reaches its climax this Saturday, October 18, with QIPCO Champions Day at Ascot.
Britain’s richest raceday could have a significant impact in the race for Cartier Racing Awards honours.
The Cartier Racing Awards honour the champions of European horseracing and will be announced before an invited audience of 300 on the evening of Tuesday, November 11, 2014.
European horseracing’s equivalent of the Oscars are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races throughout 2014 (40%), combined at the end of season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists (30%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph plus Channel 4 Racing viewers (30%).
Channel 4 Racing joined The Daily Telegraph and Racing Post as media partners of the Cartier Racing Awards towards the end of the last year.
The Cartier Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing. In addition to the eight equine awards, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 17-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done the most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.
Cirrus Des Aigles (124) currently heads the points’ standings for Cartier Older Horse Award, having taken the honours in this category previously in 2011.
The evergreen eight-year-old gelding is all set to go for a second victory in Saturday’s 10-furlong Group One QIPCO Champion Stakes, a contest he has won once already (2011) and finished second in twice (2012 and 2013).
Trained in France by Corine Barande-Barbe, Cirrus Des Aigles lies joint third at present in the Cartier Horse Of The Year category, trailing the three-year-old colts Kingman (208) and Australia (164), who have both been retired.
Others up for consideration for the Cartier Horse Of The Year Award include Taghrooda (124), The Grey Gatsby (124), Integral (92), Noble Mission (90), Toronado (88), Mukhadram (84), Night Of Thunder (84) and Treve (84). The last-named will be popular with the public and journalists after her second successive Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victory.
